Valve construction



M. H. GROVE ET AL Jan, 19, 1954 VALVE CONSTRUCTION '2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed May 15, 1948 FIE E F IE 3 INYENTORS Marv/r7 H Grove svflusfin (J 5ATTORNEYS Jan. 19, 1954 b ET AL 2,666,614

VALVE CONSTRUCTION I Filed May 15, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIELE; 1==J |37 INYENTORS Marv/x7 H. Gro ve BY 405m? 4/. ry f ATTORNEYS Patented Jan.19, 1954 UNITED STATES mm OFFICE VALVE CONSTRUCTION.

Marvin Henry Grove, Piedmont, and AustinU. Bryant, Berkeley, Calif.,assignors, by mesne assignments, to Grove Regulator Company, Oakland,Calif., a corporation of California Application May 15, 1948, Serial No.27,308

2 Claims. (01. 251-27) This invention relates generally to valves of thetype utilizing a valve member movable beetween open and closed positionsfor controlling flow of fluid.

In the past it has been proposed to utilize annular seal rings made ofsynthetic resilient rubber for the purpose of sealing the movable memberof a valve against leakage. However, where the valve is used in such amanner that high fluid velocities occur about or impinge against thevalve member, the resilient seal ring is apt to be dislodged from itsretaining groove. It is an object of the present invention to generallyimprove upon valves of this type by the provision of means which serveto efiectively prevent such dislodgment of the resilient seal ringwhenthe valve" member is moved to open or partially open position.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improvedarrangement as described above in which the guard member movesautomatically between seal ring protecting and out-oi-the-way positions,in response to movement of the valve member between open and closedpositions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a valve having bothmetal to metal and O-ring sealing means, and which is provided withmeans forprotecting both sealing means when the valve is opened. v

Additional objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription in which the preierredembodiments have been set forth indetail in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view in section illustrating a valveincorporating the invention.

7 Figures 2, 3 and 4 are cross-sectional details serving to illustratethree difierent operating positions for the valve of Figure 1. Figure 5is an enlarged cross-sectionaldetail illustrating particularly thedetail construction for the valvemember.

Figure '6 is a cross-sectional detail illustrating another embodiment ofthe invention. I

Figure 7 is a view like Figure 6 and showing another embodiment of theinvention. 7

The valve illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 is of the manual operated type,and consists of a body Ill having inflow and outflow passages Hand l2,which are adapted to be connected to associated piping. An annularseatring l3, made of suitable metal, is disposed within the body, andforms anannular throat orifice l4 which connects the passages l I andI2, when the valve member is inopen position. In order to seal the ringl3 .w1th respect to the body, the ring may be held in position bysoldering, brazing, or welding, or as illustrated it may be retained inplace by the snap ring it and sealed with respect to the body by theresilient O ring ll.

The bore I8 which extends in alignment with the seat ringv I3 is fittedwith a bonnet [9. The movable valve member 2| is attached to one end ofthe operating stem 22, and this stem extends through the bonnet IQ foroperative attachment to the hand wheel 23. Suitable means is providedfor .forming a seal between the stem 22 and the bonnet l9, such as theresilient 0 ring 24, which is disposed in the annular recess'25, andheld in place by the retainer ring 26.

As a part of the valve operating means, a bushing 27 is journaled uponthe stem 22 and is threaded in the bonnet Ill. Th outer end of thisbushing has a driving connection with the hand wheel 23. .The inner endof bushing 21 engages a collar 28 which is fixed to stem 22, and theouter end-of the bushing may abut a thrust washer 29, which is retainedupon rod 22 by the nut 30. Thus upon'turning the hand wheel 23 the valvestem 22 is moved in opposite directions to move the valv member 2|between open and closed positions. It will be evident that other typesof operating means can be employed, such as pneumatic or hydraulicpressure operated diaphragms or pistons.

The construction of the valve member 2i and its associated parts canbest be understood by reference to Figures 2 and 5. It consists of thethree annular parts SI, 32 and 33, which are mounted on the lowerportion of the valve stem 22. Part 32 is provided with a conical shapedvalve surface 34, whichis adapted to seatupon the conical shaped valvesurface 36 formed on the seat ring l3. Below the valve surface 32, thepart 32 is formed to provide the annular recess or groove 31 withinwhich is disposed the annular seal ring 38. This seal ring is formed ofsuitable resilient material such as resilient synthetic rub- 1 her. Inthis instance it is What .is generally referred to as a resilient 0ring, in that it is circular in transverse cross-section. Th recess orgroove 37 is so dimensioned that the seal ring is compressed in a radialdirection, and it is shaped as'illustrated, with spaced parallel sidewalls at right angles to the bottom of the groove. The lower corner ofthe groove 31, below the resilient seal ring-38, is, vented to theoutflow passage l2. For thispurpose one or more vents or ducts 4| areshown in-the part 33. Th parts 3|, 32 and 33areheld wean-easy suitablemeans such as a weld connection between part 33 and the valve stem.

Surrounding the valve part 3| there is a guard or protector 43 in theform of an annular shell. A flange 44 on one end of this guard isloosely accommodated on the annular portion 46 of the valve part3 L Theother end portion oithe guard...

43, designated at. 41",. is adapted; to engage the" adjacent end face ofthe seat ring l3, about the conical portion 35. between the guard 43 andthe valve member is such that for open position of the valve:

trated in Figure 4, guard 43: assumes apositionl upwardly toward theupper end of 'theseat ring 53. Figure 3 illustrates the valvememberaposition beyond. which flow commencesto occur past the valve member.As. illustrated in this view the seal ring 38. aboutv to be moved.

sufliciently'far todisengage it ironithelseat ring it, while the guard4'3, remainsin engagement with the upper, end, facev of the seat ringbut generallyv embraces the, conical valve: surface. 34;

As the valve member is moved beyond theposfi tion illustrated in Figure3', the. seal ring 38,1is' disengaged from the-seat. ring,but at thistime only a small amount of. flow occurs; past the; valve membendue totherelatively smalllclear ance-between. the outer peripheryi'o'f thevalve; part 33, and. the seat ring, [3; Inthisconnection the flow may,also be restricted by the-.cleare. anee between. the. guard, 43, and;the, valve" part, 3!, anddikewise the clearance between theguar'dandi'the upper. end faceof theseatjring (3. At. this time the vent 411also tends to aid in retaining the sealring. as" the rebess.f31,,for'thereasons explainedv in co-pending [application Serial No, 3,728, filedlanuary 22,,1948Kwhich claims subject matter disclosed butnot. claimedjhere' in) Briefly. the corner. of, the; recess 37" belovf the seal ring.3'8. is v vented. to the outflow side through the vent, thus reducingthe pressure applied to the adjacent portion of the, ring to thereby aidin holdingthe same the recess 31. Assuming that the valve is in theposition, shown in Figure 1, by the time the valve member has beenraised sufiiciently far to commence, clearingv the valve part. 33' withinner periphery of seat. ring l3,jth'e seali ring 38 is generally,embraced, within thel'ower mare gin of the guard 4.3., Thereafter theguardisi lifted together with the .valve' member; whereby the parts aremoved. to the full open position, illustrated in Figure, 4. Whilemovingto full open position flow throughthe valve cannot dis lodge theresilient seal ,ringj 38, becausethis ring is protected against the.blast of fluid flow bythe guard 43; Should'the' valve-be so-positionedthat the guard is not in contact with seatring :3 at the commencementofan openingopera tion, fluid flow will force it into such positionafterring 38 has-been cleared fromsealingv en gage-merit with seatringflow has attained; such value; as. to cause. dis-s lodgement, oi:the: O ring.

The permissible movement...

l3, and before: fluidlikewise should the?- respect? to the. l

guard assume a position in which it does not protect the O ring, withthe valve open and little or no differential being applied, theapplication of a pressure differential will cause the guard to be movedto ring protecting position before the flow has assumed such a value asto dislodge; the O ring.

It is notl necessary forthe-gu-ard tobe dimensioned so that itcompletely encloses the seal ring. Thus good results have been securedby dimensioning the guard so that when in seal ringprotecting position,its lower end is in a plane passing through the central axis of these'al ..ring, u

A valve of the above type is adapted for relatively high, pressures andflow rates, as for example pressure differentials of the order of 1500p;s. i; or more.

Figure 6 shows a modification of the guard 43. In this instance theguard 5| is extended beyond the upper end of the part 3!, and isprovided. with both upper and intermediate flanges 521 and 53.. Thepurpose of this ar rangement is to provide positive means for in suringmovement of the guard to its seal ring protecting position. Thusv whenthe valve shown in Figure 6 is infull open position, flange '52 engages.the adjacent portion 54' of the valve body, thus insuring that the guardis positioned in. such. atmanner as to, generally embrace the sealrin'g.

In connection with. the modifications of Figures'5 and 6,.hereagain'flow of fluid through theval've. can normally be relied upon toinsure proper positioning. of the guard as. the valve member is movedtowardopen position, to thereby bring the guard into seal ringprotecting positime before the flow is capable of dislodging the,

seal. ring. Thus. it has been. found that. the guardflwill, operate, inthe. manner. desired even where the. valve isv mounted in such a mannerthat theval've member iszinverted.

Where it is not desirableto rely upon fluid.

flow to insure proper positioning, of the guard, the arrangement shownin Figure 7 can be employed. In'this instance the. valve part 55correspondstothe parts 3'! ands: of Figure 2, except'v for, the modifiedshaping, and. the guard 56' has a tubular extension 51, which slidablyfitsupon-thestemll. A compression spring 58 surroundsthe, sternv 2,21.and urges the guard 55- toward the seatl3. When the valve member hasbeen moved towardiopien position sufficiently far to break thesealbetw'een sealring 381 and the seat.- I3, the seal ring isin aprotected position within the lower margin of the-guard 56, and the.collar 591011 the stem 22' comes into abuttingrelation withth'e lowerend of the tubular extension 57'. Thereafter the guard moves withthevalve member. against the force of 'compress'i'onspring 58. tofullopenposition, It will be evident th'at'with this arrangement thecompression springinsures positive, actionrof the guard, and properpositioningof'the guard at alltimes irrespective of. fluid new. A ventopening 6'! can be provided in theguard 56,1;0 equalizethe pressuresupon opposite sides of the same, thereby "making it unnecessary toconstruct the. guard sufficiently strong to withstand relatively-highdifferential pressures.

In all oi the-embodiments-described above the conical valve-surfaces and3B serve to limit closing movement or the valve member, andinadditiontheyprovide asecondary: emergency scalin:theveventyany damage shouldoccur to the resilientsealringit Referencels made to our copendingapplications 250,417 filed October 9, 1951; 250,418 filed October 9,1951; and 250,419 filed October9, 1951,

disclosing and claiming subject matter originally in opposite directionsbetween open and closed positions relative to the throat orifice, saidvalve member including a metal portion formed to provide a conicalshaped valve working surface adapted to have abutting sealing engagementwith the seating surface of the valve body for I closed position of thevalve member, said valve member also including a cylindrically shapedportion adapted to extend and fit into said cylindrical portion of thethroat orifice for closed position of the valve member and to beretracted from the throat orifice for open position of the valve member,said valve member being formed to provide an annular groove in saidcylindrical shaped portion of the valve member, a resilient seal ringdisposed within said groove and proportioned to be compressed in aradial direction within said cylindrical throat portion for closedposition of the valve member to thereby form a fluid-tight seal betweenthe valve member and the body, and an annular guard slidably carried bythe valve member on the inlet side of the V throat orifice, said guardfor open position of the valve member being positioned to substantiallyembrace both said valve working surface and the resilient seal ring, andfor closed position being retained adjacent the inlet side of saidseating surface but in non-embracing relation with both the seal ringand said valve working surface.

2. A valve as in claim 1 in which that portion of the guard whichembraces the seal ring for Open position of the valve has an internaldiameter substantially greater than the external diameter of the sealring.

MARVIN HENRY GROVE. AUSTIN U. BRYANT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date- 382,469 Hawthorne May 8, 1888 969,803 Pollock Sept. 13, 19101,072,796 Vance Sept. 9, 1913 1,293,858 'Mills Feb. 11, 1919 1,385,019Mathieu July 19, 1921 2,299,395 Karlberg Oct. 20, 1942 2,370,471Karlberg Feb. 27, 1945 2,370,964 Janette Mar. 6, 1945 2,408,000 SchillerSept. 24, 1946 2,414,451 Christensen Jan. 21, 1947 2,431,437 Van DerWerfi Nov. 25, 1947 2,469,921 Hoge May 10, 1949 V FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 5 e y ---9-?-.'-,-:2:- of 887

